Relaxer



Dec. 13, 1938. E. D. BROWN ET AL RELAXER Filed Jan. 14, 1957 INVENTORSzz w/mo .0. amw/v BY 61mm! #84onw ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITEDSTATES RELAXEB Elward D. Brown and Grace H. Brown, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application January 14, 1937, Serial No. 120,576

4 Claims.

This invention relates to relaxing devices, and its various objects areto provide an inexpensive but highly eflicient mechanism of this kindwhich is adapted to the most divers applications in providing comfortfor the body, and particularly for the legs and feet of both well orsick persons. The device is also intended to serve as emergency seat oremergency table or as a splint for injured limbs, particularly the legs,and may find application both in the home and hospitals.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kindwherein two interhinged members are connected by a collapsible bracewhich is adapted to fold up when the two meml5 bers are in foldedposition.

A further object of this invention is to provide in such deviceresilient friction means whereby a shifting movement of the device inits operative position is prevented, while it permits a swingingmovement of the device for proper positioning thereof in order toprovide greatest comfort and convenience to the user.

The foregoing and still further objects and important advantages of thisinvention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing descriptionand the accompanying drawing, which latter forms an essential part ofthis disclosure, but which is not intended to limit the same to theactual showing, and in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of our deviceshown in open position, and partially in section;

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 illustrates an end view of the device, partially in section,while the device is in its foldedup position;

Fig. 5 is a side View of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate in diagrammatical form a few of the manypossible applications of the device in actual use; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view of one of the instrumentalities forhingedly interconnecting the major members of the device.

Fig. 11 is a perspective detail view of the folded- 5 up brace, a partof which is broken off.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, numeral I0 denotes a stand-upmember to which are attached two hinge brackets H, in the manner shownin Fig. 3, so that the attaching legs I2 of the bracket (see Fig. 10)are directed towards one another. The upright ends of the brackets areprovided with perforations l3 for accommodating hinge rods or screws 14which pass through appropriate holes provided at the attached end ofsupporting member IS. The latter is provided with slots ii foraccommodating the perforated upright portions of hinge brackets I Itwill be observed particularly from Fig. 4 that the lower edge ofsupporting member i5 is rounded off, as indicated at H, so as to permitan unrestricted movement of member I5 relative to stand-up member I0.Associated with the sides, and near the upper end of stand-up member Hi,there are provided emergency brackets 10 I8, which normally adhere tothe side edges of member In but may be brought into the broken lineposition shown in Fig. 1. As will be observed, brackets 18 are securedto the side edges of member III by means of screws, and their unattached1 ends are perforated for accommodating hinge screws, or rods l4,removably associated with supporting member IS. The employment of theseemergency brackets may be best understood by referring to Fig. 9, whereit is clearly shown that an the hinged connection of the two majormembers In and I5 may be changed so as to alter their angular positionrelative to one another.

Members 10 and I5 are not only interhinged, but are hingedly connectedby a collapsible brace 25 I9, which latter consists of a short arm 20and a long arm 2|, each arm having a hinged end 22 attached,respectively, to the stand-up and supporting members. Arms 20 and 2| ofbrace l9 are interhinged with one another at 23 and 30 are normally heldin their unfolded position by a spring or similar means, not shown inthe drawing. The arms of the brace are substantially channel-shaped andare intended to fold up against one another in the manner illustrated in35 Fig. 4. An important feature of this brace resides in the sideenlargement 24 provided in the longer arm 2| of the brace. Thisenlargement is intended to accommodate and forcibly engage the hingeconnection 22 formed between the 40 shorter arm 20 and supporting memberl5, when the brace is collapsed (as members l0 and iii are foldedagainst one another, seen in Figs. 4 and 5). The forcible engagement ofthe hinge connection by enlargement 24 has the purpose of automaticallyinterlocking the brace arms in their collapsed position, thereby holdingmembers IO and IS in their folded state.

In order to accommodate hinge 23 and the adjacent parts of the folded-upbrace portions, there are provided in both members I and 15 depressions25 and 26, respectively, so that when the members are folded, they canassume a parallel position relative to one another, and are as u closeto one another as the collapsed brace l9, folded into these depressions,permits.

In order to facilitate the carrying about of the device, there isprovided in member I! an aperture 21, sufiiciently large to allow theinsertion therethrough of a few fingers or the hand of the user. At thesupporting edge of stand-up member I 0, there are secured resilientfriction means 28 in the form of rubber buttons or the like, whichlatter serve for preventing the device from shifting from its intendedplace, while at the same time permitting the tilting of the device tothe proper angle for most comfortably supporting the body or limbs ofthe user.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated one of the many possible employments of thedevice, wherein supporting member I5 serves as rest for the leg andfoot. The device as shown in this figure may be used also as a splint,that is, as a permanent support for an injured leg, in which case theleg is firmly strapped to member l5. While the patient is in bed,stand-up member is collapsed against member I5, until such time when thepatient intends to sit up, at which moment standup member ID is swung toits position shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 7 the device is shown when used as an emergency seat, whereinthe supporting member serves as a seat, and a portion of the stand-upmember performs the duty of a back rest.

In Fig. 8 the device is employed as a back support, such as may beconveniently used on the beach, picnic ground or on a cot, in a bed orelsewhere. In this case, the stand-up member serves as a restboard forthe back of the body.

In Fig. 9 the use of the device for supporting an injured limb is shown.In this figure is illustrated the readily made change in the hingeconnection between members ill and I5, wherein the emergency brackets I8are employed to elevate the position of member l5 to a substantiallyhorizontal plane, so as to permit the support of the calf, and wherein aremovable cushion 29 is superimposed over the upper edge of stand-upmember III for the support of the heel area of the foot.

It will be seen from Figs. 4 and 11, that collapsible brace I9, whenfolded, is temporarily locked in .position, in that enlargement 24 ofbrace leg 2| forcibly engages hinge connection 22, secured to member 15of the device. Especially. from Fig. 4, it will be clearly noted thathinge 23, connecting legs 20 and 2|, is nested in depressions 25 and 26,provided, respectively, in members l and I5, when brace I9 is in itsfolded-up position. I

Another practical use of our device may be made by converting it into anemergency table, in which case member l0 takes the place of the tabletop, while member l serves as central table leg. v

The advantages of the present invention are clearly indicated in thedrawing, which latter, of course, illustrates only a few of the possibleuses of the device. It is obvious, however, that with small, inexpensivechanges, our device may be put to various other uses, such as, forinstance, the splint mentioned previously, and others, and we thereforewish to have it understood that changes and improvements may be made inthe construction of our device, and we reserve for ourselves the rightto make such changes and improvements without departing from the broadscope of our idea as expressed in the annexed claims:

We claim:

1. In a relaxing device of the class described, a stand-up member and asupporting member, the latter provided with an opening for carrying thedevice, a pair 01. brackets secured to said stand-up member, slotsprovided in said supporting member accommodating said brackets, saidbrackets, said slots and a connecting bolt constituting a hingeconnection between said members, a collapsible means hingedly connectedwith both members and adapted to hold them in unfolded position, whendesired, means provided in both members for accommodating said firstmeans when the members are folded, means secured to said stand-up memberto cooperate with said bolt to hod both members in changed relativeangular position to one another, said first means consisting ofinterhinged short and long channels, the longer channel being providedwith enlargements for interlocking with the hinge connection formedbetween the short channel and said supporting member, when said firstmeans is collapsed, thus holding said members in their folded position,and resilient friction means at the supporting end of said stand-upmember for preventing the shifting of the device from its intendedposition, while permitting a swinging movement thereof.

2. In a foldable relaxing device, a stand-up member and a supportingmember hingedly connected with one another, means on both membersproviding different hinged connections for varying the angular relationof the members when unfolded, a collapsible brace hingedly connectedwith both members, and comprising a short and a long arm, both pivotallyinterconnected with one another, the longer arm having means forforcibly engaging the hinge connection formed between the short arm andone of said members, when the brace is collapsed, means provided in bothmembers for accommodating the collapsed brace when the members arefolded.

3. In a relaxing device, stand-up and supporting members hingedlyconnected and provided with means for forming an adjustable hingedconnection between one another, a collapsible brace hingedly connectedwith both members and comprising short and long interhinged arms, thelonger arm provided with means for accommodating and forcibly engagingthe hinge connection formed between the short arm of the brace and toone of the members.

4. In a relaxing device, hingedly connected stand-up and supportingmembers, a collapsible brace, one end of the brace being hinged to oneof the members, its other end being hinged with the other member, saidbrace consisting of interhinged arms, one of said arms being providedwith means for accommodating and interlocking with the hinge connectionformedbetween the other arm and said supporting member when the brace iscollapsed while the members are folded.

ELWARD D. BROWN. GRACE H. BROWN.

